Unspoken Bonds
by Jaganshi-Kyou
Summary: “Ha! It’s almost sad, really, to think Naruto of all of us would be the first to go…” Kiba proclaimed, smiling mischievously as he spoke. “Unexpectedly shackled before our very eyes by a little thing called, ‘Love.’Eventual NaruSakuSasu
1. Prelude

**_Unspoken Bonds:_**

**_The Promise Made of Thorns_**

Written By: Jaganshi-Kyou

Disclaimer: --Insert witty dialogue here--Naruto and its characters don't belong to me.

Warnings: Mature content in later chapters. Language and "Deviant" lifestyles ensue. If that makes you uncomfortable in anyway… well, um… that's how the cookie crumbles, I guess.

**A/N: Dedicated to Asuka Kureru and bhanesidhe, who's work I'm entirely entranced with. I can't wait 'til your next updates! I hope you like...****Enjoy!**

**_Prelude - In spite of the Circumstance, we'll always fail to forget…_**

"--a day none of us expected…" Kiba joked truthfully, his right hand--occupied by an obscenely large bottle of sake, rose solemnly, saluting the man who stood before him. A rakish grin flit across his painted cheeks as he spoke, letting his impish charm influence the diverse crowd surrounding him. They were held up in an apartment far too small and cluttered for such a large group. The well known (…if not infamous…) 'Rookie-Nine', plus some, were hiding away; joyously ignoring the quiet storm before them as they celebrated.

The food was free flowing, passed around the large--in some cases, rowdy--group like precariously wrapped presents on some commonly practiced holiday. Their bodies pressed intimately against each other like puzzle pieces searching for that _"Perfect Fit"_ as they recalled and regaled one another with elaborate tales and cherished memories. Their voices sang, and eyes danced as they clung tenaciously to each other in hopes of waiting out the vicious storm approaching.

Even as the rain outside began to fall; pitter-pattered like silver-white indiscretions falling from the clouds like broken dreams. The somewhat large group feigned ignorance pretending to be oblivious to the arduous dilemma impending.

Instead, they chose to rejoice, celebrating as if it were their last…

In a corner, more clustered than a squirrel's nest in winter, sat Tsunade with Jiraiya and Shizune flanking her side, huddled like nuts in disarray around a small card table. Their faces noticeably flushed as they continued to laugh, uninhibitedly, at a joke that probably wasn't even that funny, speaking amicably amongst them, gesticulating wildly with broad smiles across their faces.

Near the center of the room, virtually the center of attention, Ten-Ten pounded her fist into her hand before throwing it dramatically into the air--silently asking the others to follow. Enthusiasm bled with effervescence into her movements and began to burn as she danced, effulgent; her eyes shining like the sun. Her body rolled, and shook rhythmatically, rising and falling in tandem with the music, her moves steeped in a sensual grace.

Neji sat before the spectacle on a well-broken, mellow-looking couch, his hands absently picking away at the escaping cotton attempting to flee its yellow prison--studiously ignoring the crimson blush staining his cheeks--as he replied in regal, monosyllabic grunts to his, to all appearances, terminally shy cousin's well-meaning queries. She spoke half-heartedly about trivial family matters (twitching, almost inconspicuously, while she stole glances across the room). It didn't take a genius to figure it out, but the prodigy refused to utter a word. He was feeling rather magnanimous today; steadfastly reminding himself it wasn't 'pity'.

He didn't _do_ pity

The others were scattered in pairs around the room. Shikamaru sat in windowsill, his arms folded indolently behind his head, while Chouji, the ever-faithful glutton, sat at his side shoveling hors d'oeuvres into his mouth with a single-minded determination to savor every succulent moresole as if it were his last. Far off to the side, Ino and Temari stood; talking in what would be considered civil tones, were it not for the constant (semi-acidic) ribbing they shared at the other's expense.

All the while, Kakashi reclined quietly in the corner, sipping his jasmine tea with a thoughtful look on his face. It was indeed a day none had expected, but he can't help wondering if it was meant to be…

"Ha! It's almost sad, really, to think Naruto--of all of us--would be the first to go…" Kiba proclaimed, smiling mischievously as he spoke. "Unexpectedly shackled before our very eyes by a little thing called, 'Love.' " Most everyone smiled or laughed, completely beguiled by Kiba's sudden thirst for theatrics. He swept his eyes briefly across the crowd to make sure they were thoroughly enthralled.

He smirked as he watched Shikamaru stretch, rolling his neck from one side to another. Despite what others thought, Kiba knew, the pineapple-haired pragmatist could be so deliciously read-able on certain topics, and from the scent of him, the upcoming moments were bound to be amusing.

"…how troublesome…" Shikamaru yawned, easily dodging the speeding projectile from Ino's plate. He rolled his eyes at her 'pointless' display, shrugging his shoulders as she muttered: "Jerk."

"Maa… Shika-kun shouldn't act so cool. It's unbefitting of a _crybaby." _Temari smirked.

"…I can't believe you almost let the _last _of my very own mesquite-salmon sushi go to waste! That's worse than refusing to savor the taste of the last chip in a bag." Chouji intoned, aghast. His slanted eyes were open wide, staring at the evidence of Shikamaru's blatant disrespect in all its savory glory, lying in his hand.

With an almost artistic grace, his flicked the succulent morsel across the bridge of his stout, but nimble fingers, pointing with the incriminating evidence that rolled across his hand as he spoke in a rare display of open defiance.

"…to let such an act happen before my eyes is unforgivable. To let such a rare food go to waste, though, is a sin!" He poignantly explained.

"--Anyway," Rock Lee smiled gaily at the quartet's antics (cutting into Kiba's speech in his excitement). "We're here to celebrate, and congratulate Naruto-san on his up-and-coming engagement to Sasame-chan! We wish you the best of luck, my friend." His eyes were shining happily while he shifted naturally into his patented, 'Nice-guy Pose'--his right thumb pointing straight up towards the sky--as his left arm encircled the blonde at his side. "You deserve it."

Unanimously, they agreed, stretching their voices to hoops and hollers from murmurs. It was invigorating, but bittersweet. He had worked so hard to gain their trust, acceptance, and most of all, most importantly: friendship …but now that he had it, the benediction they offered so freely tasted acidic, and he couldn't help but shudder.

_Everyone's so happy…and it's all for me…, _Naruto thought, silently to himself. Outwardly, he was fine; wearing the same shit eating '_I'm-a-slave-to-these-words' _smile he perfected years ago. His arm stretched behind his head, scratching nervously at his messy, mop of blonde hair, while he grinned--biting his tongue until it was close to bleeding--like a fox. Grinned like an enigma wrapped in simplicity, moments away from making ANOTHER 'Promise of a Lifetime'.

…Another promise he couldn't keep.

_Who'd of thunk it?_

"G-guys… T-thank you."

He wondered why his subdued tones always sounded so 'over-emotional' to others' ears. Like he was on the edge, brimming with some unnamed emotion ...when in truth he felt so numb. What did that say about him? What did it say about his friends--family--if no one could notice the angst that waded on the surface of his conscience like a fat white glob of tofu in his Pork Ramen.

_So…out of place…_

"So, Naruto-kun, where is the soon-to-be Mrs. Uzumaki, anyway? I know--we sort of threw this together all of a sudden …but I'd have expected she'd be here?" Tsunade questioned, sending the young vessel a sidelong glance. Her head was resting above her elegantly entwined fingers, watching Naruto askance.

He told her, shortly, how she had family business to take care of before she could make her way over to his apartment. An odd look was sent her way as he spoke, but it flittered away before anyone could make notice. He said she invited him to come to--but he declined, citing he was never any good at that type of stuff.

Neji commented on how important it was for him to keep up with clan matters--especially considering the former prestige of the Fuuma Clan. Now that he was entering a clan, whose size and prestige almost rivaled Hyuuga, at one time?

He needed to be educated.

But before the subject turned into a lecture far too long, Kankuro smartly interrupted, using his usual crass _charm_, stating in his usual caustic drawl, how an idiot like Naruto should stay far away from politics of any kind for everyone's well being. The group shook their heads and laughed.

Not one to miss a chance like this, Naruto lips set a grim line on his face. "Let's not forget …this is _My_ party! So, that means, no hackling the Guest of Honor!" He whined.

"Heh. Guest of Honor? We barely remembered to invite you, Mr. DIP-lomat!"

"…Barely remembered…? This my house, assho--"

"I can tell." Kiba shot back, stealing Kankuro's thunder.

"W'assat supposed to mean? …You implying something?" Naruto growled, stepping into the playful brunette's face. Kiba, for his part, stood his ground, smirking continuously, while he watched his blonde counterpart with feral eyes.

He was crouched slightly. One clawed finger nonchalantly scratched at his dimpled, smirking cheek as he spoke even as his cheeky tongue danced sinuously around his fanged incisors.

"Not that you'd get it anyway, _dipstick, _but I'll dumb it down for ya, m'kay?"

"I ought' a…"

The tension in the room split, however, as the two embraced, chortling loudly, and their arms slung carelessly around each other's necks while they grinned. The brunette brought his other arm forward, resting his hand firmly on his equally fanged counterpart's abdomen, once again reining the group's attention. He was almost as good at stealing the spotlight, as Naruto was when he wanted to be. He spared a quick glance at Akamaru lying asleep in the corner, before he continued his speech. He wasn't sure why Naruto asked him to do this, but he'd be the best he could be on such a special day.

"Seriously, though, as the best man, I'd like to thank everyone for coming to support, our boy, Naruto. I know a lot of you have much to do this close to _That Day_, but you showed up. That's enough.

"As I said before, it's a day none of us expected …so soon, at least, but it's a pleasant surprise! Let's have a drink! Naruto--Congrats, dumb-ass, seems ya finally got something right, ne?"

Sasuke watched the storm incarnadine before him with eyes closed off to the world. The swirling masses of clouds moved in dizzying, non-sequential patterns before his mind's eye in 13 shades of red; as the rain fell freely like blood from a self-inflicted wound he was determined to ignore, picking away at his indifference, that sat like scabs resting over his subconscious. The tempestuous clouds were hazy, roadblocks in his head.

He faced the window with a single-minded determination bordering on stoic grace; impassively gazing passed the cool night sky. In the distance, he could hear keening cries, and dull taps, that left a hollow ringing in his ears. His chipped, slightly fingernails keep tempo with the erratic beat.

Were he someone--rather than himself--the quiet room would be filled with impassioned, or more possibly, ironic soliloquies in hopes to ease the brooding silence. Sasuke, however, indulged in it. Letting his mind wonder to places he'd yet to visit, and idle fantasies he'd yet to turn to dreams. He lived vicariously through the harsh, chopped, laboring breaths outside his domicile, clenching his fists sporadically to a beat he'd remembered well. He bit his lip in concentration--forcing his mind to keep up with the frantic tempo outside.

He never even noticed the stain he'd left…

"Congratulations… or maybe 'my sympathies' is in order?" Sakura said teasingly, walking through the open door. Her hair was still slightly damp causing her to shiver as the ends scrapped against the sensitive skin on the back of her neck raising the gooseflesh. She entered cramped apartment, stepping through with a confidence that belied the aching feeling churning in her chest. She had no need to clear her throat; however, before she continued to speak, training with the Lady Tsunade assured her of that. Her practiced eyes scanned the room, seeking a target, but coming up short. She inwardly, sighed, and continued congratulating the soon-to-be Mrs. Uzumaki on the impending engagement.

"I have to admit, I was truly surprised by the …suddenness of it all. I'd barely heard you were dating before the news was broke out." Sakura continued, tactfully. Her keen eyes were light, but assessing, it wouldn't do to have a teammate with a broken heart watching her back--especially as of now. She smiled disarmingly as she spoke, walking towards the table where the drinks were being kept. "To tell the truth, I had no idea you were even interested in him in anyway. So it all came as a bit of a surprise."

"I really wasn't…" Sasame answered, smiling back at the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura got the feeling it wasn't the first time the girl was asked this. All of Naruto's friends were extremely protective of the wild-haired boy no matter how much they might deny. It was his sincerity, drew like an earnest line from one heart to another that connected all who'd ever met him. No one could deny its influence over them. Therefore, Sasame's indulgent look made sense as she continued to speak.

"At least not at first I wasn't… You remember me then; I was too entangled with family matters, and my cousin's departure for all of that, but thanks to the help of you, Naruto, and Jiraiya-sama, my heart was able to open up a little bit more. After my clan's decision to reestablish themselves in the ninja world, and relocate their base of operations in Konoha, I was able to see him on a day-to-day basis. Watching his well-meant mishaps, not to mention, the strength and dedication he lent so graciously to his country and the people in it, was it really so hard to believe I fell in love?

"Truthfully, I'm surprised more people haven't? I see the glances I get from housewives, other Nin, and the elderly alike, but in loving Naruto, I feel as if I'm in on a secret no one else is aware of. Naruto's a good man; I'm gifted to have met him."

_…Gifted?_ Sakura mouthed, silently mimicking the autumn-haired girl's words. Inwardly she was wishing she weren't so surprised by Sasame's choice of words and the certainty in her voice. She felt like a wretch--a horrid, cynical wretch--for her wariness, but anyway she looked at it Naruto was the closest person aside from Ino to her, and the fervor in which she'd protect him as immeasurable. Once she thought about it, it was much like a question Naruto had once asked her: "Would you become a demon for the ones you loved?" When asked she believe the query to be rather odd (and unnecessarily morbid), but looking back it made sense to her. It eased the wretched feeling dwelling inside of her.

_I think I **would**, Naruto. For the Ones I love, I most definitely would… I wonder if that's how you feel …every time you fight._

"I'm glad you feel that way," She told her, her hands itching as they made contact with the skin of her arm. "You're right--Naruto's one of the best men I know."

"Even if he is an idiot!" She joked as her eyes connected with his. She quickly bid Sasame her last well wishes and made her way to her blonde teammate. A wide smile stretched across her face as they met up in a cramped corner on the other side of the apartment near the small jukebox churning out hits.

_She just doesn't fit Naruto-kun at all… _Might have been the first words to come to Hyuuga Hinata's mind when she initially came across the auburn-haired beauty from Field. She could quite figure why the thought stood out so prominently in her first introduction, but it struck her with absolute clarity that the two didn't fit.

She just didn't know _why_…

She made it her point not to stick with first assumptions, no matter how accurate they may seem. As a Hyuuga, in-depth perception was a gift--a given---but she firmly resolved to let a person's character freely float to the surface before making any decisions about them. A foreign concept in most of her clan's eyes, but then Hinata would always differ from the haughty clan in some respects.

She remembered chewing her lips until they left indentions (a decidedly unlady-like action in her mother's opinion) whilst her cell was introduced to Konoha's guests, The Fuuma. They were a proud, but for the most part fallen bunch. Most of them looking more like thieves and scarlet women than the aristocrats a clan of their former prestige would be expected of. Taking in their worn appearance and simple dress, Hinata felt a wave a pity sweep across her before a proud blonde sent a reproaching stare her way. They didn't want sympathy, just a fresh slate. She wondered if her clan could or would fall from glory like theirs, or maybe even the Uchiha had.

Her gaze was stolen, her idle thoughts sinking into nonexistence as her eyes spied a handsome young woman wearing an ornate green kimono with gold laces running like rivulets of silk down her lean form from shoulders to ankles, superimposed over some mythical beast she'd never seen before. She let her impossibly white eyes travel over her, studying the guest as her compassions made their greetings, assessing the bashful woman before her. Her curious mind was itching with thoughts not ready to be answered. After a shuddering breath, she was able to school her features, introducing herself to the group.

"W-welcome to Konoha." She bowed slightly lower than what was deemed necessary for a person of her stature, smiling sincerely all the while. "I-it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance; I am Hinata; Hyuuga Hinata; welcome to my home."

Her welcome was formal, but not ever the top, and was replied to in kind. She told them it was her group's duty to escort their clan to the Hokage's Tower. She surprised when the redhead spoke up saying it was okay, as long as they could make a pit stop first. She said she wanted to see Naruto-kun, or as she said it, Uzumaki-san. The she didn't need her Byakugan to tell she wasn't the only one surprised by this. Kiba looked like he was a moment away from making a smart-ass comment before Shino cut in agreeing with the stipulation.

Hinata had frowned.

"Is this seat taken?" queried a soft voice that broke the bob-headed girl of her reverie. Hinata looked up and was surprised to find the subject of her fleeting thoughts standing before her. For a moment, she watched dumbly before nodding her head to the already seated girl.

"I'd have sat with my fiancée, but he seems rather caught up at the moment," She said, hoping to start conversation. "How are you, Hyuuga-san?"

"It doesn't make you jealous?" Hinata asked instead of answering.

A perplexed expression flashed across the redhead's porcelain features. "Hmm?"

"It doesn't bother you," Hinata sighed, "that Naruto's so intimate with Sakura? They're really close…"

"Good friends usually are." She countered with a quip. "Now tell me, how things have been…"

"So he didn't come, eh?" Naruto's nonchalant drawl sounded feigned to Sakura's ears. He was posturing, leaning his body up against the old hardwood cabinet she remembered him _acquiring _from the back of Tatsuki's Furniture. It was cracked and fading, but in overall good condition when he got it. She remembered his blush when he'd noticed her, and could vividly recall him trying to hide the hulking thing behind his back. His pride forcing him to look away, not meeting her eyes for the life of him. She realized he was doing the same thing now as he had then; using a façade to hide his true feelings behind his back instead of broken-down chests.

His pride wouldn't let him admit he was missing his friend, but she didn't hold it against him.

"Did you expect him to…? It was a little last minute, you know?" She asked, taking up sip of her chilled import. If there was one thing Rain did right, it was definitely beer. The cool refreshing liquid rolled like cold fire towards her belly washing away anything else she thought of saying.

Canting his head to the side, hoping to get a better look at her face, Naruto looked his long-time friend in the eye, pushing his shaggy forelocks away from his face before he spoke.

"I didn't expect _you'd_ come," he riposted, his gaze allowing his words to burn a hole though her chest. After a moment, he sighed, rubbing his broad hands across his face. His seemed older in those scant seconds than Sakura ever imagined possible in her life.

Still smarting from his blow, Sakura looked away. She didn't pretend not to understand his words; she owed him that at least. She turned to him when he spoke again, but their suddenly dull eyes never met again. It felt as if they were reading from a pre-rehearsed script--no emotions, just empty promises.

"Thank you for coming, Sakura-chan," He ducked his head slightly. "I know Sasame appreciates it …more than she can say."

Her mouth opened, but the words refused to come to her. She leaned to the side, letting conditioned cherry strands obscure her vision. She knew what she wanted to ask, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. The words lingered on the tip of her tongue; she was just too weak…

…And just like that, he floated away; leaving fleeting thoughts of a childhood song echoing in his wake.

"It was sweet of them, wasn't it …to throw a party like that for us? I feel like Konoha has really accepted _us_ with open arms, Naru-kun. You have a wonderful family…"

Fuuma Sasame, one of the few remaining of the ancient doomed clan, spoke earnestly as she began undressing in front of the handcrafted cedar wardrobe, an engagement gift she'd given to her fiancée shortly after the proposal. Starting with the dangling earrings Naruto always thought of as _starbursts, _because the small diamonds sparkled like collapsing worlds; never ceasing to captivate Naruto in a way he had never stopped to contemplate. The glittering, unfathomable jewels seemed to simultaneously, activate the at times latent femininity in Sasame, and arouse the blonde haired teen's attentions. Naruto's gaze, however, was nowhere near his soon-to-be bride as she began to undress. His reckless blue-eyes focused on the peeling, off-white wall before him, tugging insistently at the neck of his flamboyant jumpsuit.

Finally able to remove his jacket; he turned to Sasame, his eyes casually tracing over her every curve as he thought.

"…My family," He quietly spoke. "Hehe… I guess they are, huh? Isn't that what you call people who'd risk hell, and high water for you--Family?"

"Not necessarily." Calmly walking across the room, her soft ivory skin glistening in the new moon's light, Sasame spoke with conviction, her lilting voice carrying a certainty that seemed somewhat out of character for the head of the Fuuma Clan. "As ninja, we dedicate our lives to the service of others, so it's not uncommon to be willing to die for a comrade--you know this, as you've risked your life for total strangers on almost a daily basis. Family is not any different, just not all together, the same.

"What makes a family is 'Love', plain and simple."

A/N: Fanfiction Dot Net's pretty damnanal, so I edited it. The childhood song mentioned is actually the chorus from"O' Sailor" by Fiona Apple. Thanks for reading. See you next chapter?


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

…That Which Made Us Strong, Only To Fill Us with the Most Regret.

_I am gonna kill…_

_When I need a **thrill**_

_Eating at the heart,_

'_Til I've had my fill_

_When will **Stupid** Learn?_

_Fire's gonna **burn**?_

_Think of consequence_

…_Then you move when it's your turn._

"_Haunt You Everyday" - Weezer_

The waiting was the most agonizing part for Sakura, who was strung so tight with ferocious anxiety that she thought for a moment it'd devour her whole, standing outside of the dilapidated Uchiha residence with a chagrin look upon her face. The rain had eased, slowing down to a dull drizzle, and she happy for once she hadn't fussed over her hair in vain. She wiped the dewy precipitation from her face in one clean stroke before she continued to knock. She knew she could enter if she pleased, but the lovesick little girl she had swore she'd squashed protested loudly at the invasion of privacy.

…That and she wasn't sure she'd be able to dodge all of the hyper-paranoid teen's traps; even with Tsunade-shishou's intense training.

She knew he was in there ...even if she didn't understand why. After his prodigal return to the village accompanied by a limping Naruto and herself, he'd stubbornly insisted upon staying in his original home. In a way, she conceded, it was oddly fitting to return to the place of his birth after his brief sojourn, and if she'd actual believed he was going about it all in a healthy fashion she'd have no qualms about his place of residence. However, she knew Sasuke, and his sometimes self-destructive ways, well; at least when she wasn't blinded by her affections she did. When her 'Sasuke-goggles' were removed, and the world was not longer a pleasant shade of Uchiha Red (the color of love), she saw thing perfectly clear.

_Sasuke only has eyes for the past; this is just another attempt for him to rest with his demons._

Therefore,when the door finally opened and a grudgingly open and relaxed Sasuke greeted her, she nearly fell on her ass. She restrained herself from over-ogling and resigned herself to surreptitious glances of the lithe form before her. He was _God Thank You! _shirtless and wore low-hung pajama bottoms without a hint of anything else. His 'lick-able' love handles stood out prominently on his chiseled body, deliciously tormenting the pink-hair ninja. His bare-feet clopped on the floor as he silently led her to another room.

Sasuke, for his part, was stubbornly quiet. He had a strong inkling as to why she was there at such an hour, but he refused to say anything, knowing in time she'd speak her mind--after she got over the initial jitters. It wasn't patience, however, but inflexibility that led him to doing it. If some part of him hadn't wanted to talk, he would have shut the door upon her arrivial.

However, after a few minutes of irritating silence, Sasuke's "_not-patience" _was wearing a bit thin. He was pointedly standing up (he had never sat down) which in 'Sasuke-speak' meant make it quick, and his eyes narrowed--challenging--as he awaited her response.

"How was training?" he asked, snarkily. His query was actually a statement, saying all-too-loudly that he knew it'd been her training out in the storm that evening; beating her frustrations out on wooden dummy before making her way to a party she'd now wish she'd skipped.

"…Good." She mechanically replied. She haltingly summed up the party leaving Naruto's parting comments out, speaking only briefly of their wheat-haired companion. This was odd, considering it was his party. Sasuke noticed that however, and his dark eyes glanced over her shoulder before returning to her eyes.

"So why are you here? Come to check up?" He asked, angling himself between her and the sitting room. He walked past her to what she assumed to be to kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the sparse selection of items. He found the idea that he was directing the conversation inwardly amusing.

"May I have one?" She had asked when she realized he wasn't going to offer. Gingerly nursing the drink like a warmed bottle of sake, she continued; citing while seeing him was a bonus, she had not come to check in on him.

He shot her a glacial glance, testing her resolve, before taking a sip of his frosty drink. He immediately frowned, looking down at the drink as if wondering if the severe look he had cast had done something to his drink. He smoothly placed it on the counter before lifting his gaze to meet her eyes. They held the look along time before Sakura spoke up again.

"We're about to have what's likely to be the most important fight of our lives, and our group's barely spent an hour collectively together honing our skills. I know there's …a lot…between us right now, but we've got to do something, and I, Naruto and you have got pride to admit it." Sakura said with a confidence Sasuke was still getting use to. It seemed while he was gone that she had finally bloomed. He wondered if he'd held her back and was pleasantly surprised, she hadn't regressed upon his return. "So here I am. I know it's too late to train, but something struck me today and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since. We were _trained_ for this, but that doesn't mean we're going to win. If we don't shape up…"

Her red-eyed teammate practically goggled at her; equally surprised and annoyed she'd go out of her way to tell him something so obvious in such a straight out fashion, though in truth, he hadn't thought of it in that way, and she was making sense. He was mostly just upset it had to be pointed out to him. He had seen the parallels, but thought nothing of them. The only fate he'd worried about was Itachi's, and that was predetermined by him.

"--We've been beating around the bush far too long! It's time for us to shape up, or ship out; if we don't leave our past behind us, we'll never make it home."

"Well, that's all well an' good and all, but why are you just telling this to me? We're a three person team remember? Where's Naruto play into all of this?" Sasuke asked, his eyes sparking crimson as he spoke. He wondered if this was just a guise, but he decided to wait and let it all play out. "Shouldn't he have to sit through this lecture too?"

"I-I'd tried…"

"--And so you came to me?" He asked, disbelievingly. She'd laughed brokenly, understanding the absurdity of it all. Going to Sasuke of all people after Naruto refused her, it made about as much sense as standing in front of a full-powered chidori with her arms opened wide. Sasuke was just as ruthless with his words as any technique he had in his arsenal. His brow rose towards the ceiling, regarding her with clinical expertise.

"So I came to you…" She said, smiling hesitantly at him.

* * *

By the time, Naruto snuck out of the Fuuma guestroom; it was already raining again. It wasn't quite pouring down like earlier in the evening, but the downpour could still be considered harsh. He ducked his head as he continued his walk, attempting to keep the rain from his eyes by lowering his gaze. His soppy mop of vibrant wheat-hair hung limp, looking dull and life-less, clinging to his forehead. He carried his hitae-ate in his right hand. His grip on the forehead protector was fierce and needy as he prayed for comfort and hoped for insight.

After walking his fiancée home--he maybe clueless, but he was always a gentleman--she'd asked him to stay. She had told him how he hoped for this chance--to be alone, free to converse and share their thoughts and feelings without the invasive presence of the council and her family. She smiled as she grabbed his hand dragging him through the doorway; stumbling to her room. There she'd changed out of her 'hampering' formal ware into her more comfortable, boyish clothes. Naruto thought she looked rather fetching in her oversized oxford shirt with the long sleeves rolled up past her elbows. She combed her hair before putting it in a high ponytail, and the sat casual beside her futon with her back against the wall. They'd talked for hours before she fell asleep and he snuck into the adjacent guestroom to let his thoughts coalesce.

It was after two a.m. by time he finally left; tired of tossing and turn, he decided a little after midnight practice would work just as well as warm milk. His stomach was aching, but he wasn't hungry …or at least not as hungry as he usually was… Kyuubi was talking to him again, and it was getting harder and harder to shut him out. The fox had laughed when he saw Naruto pictured him as a demented version of a niggling cricket he'd seen in a foreign film once. Naruto rolled his eyes, saying, "It figures the bastard would take being bothersome as a compliment…"

He entered his secret training spot without his usual flourish; making his way into the raggedy shed without even batting an eye. He picked up his extra supplies, grabbing a pair of fingerless gloves with metal protectors on them before walking out of the door. As he walked to the clearing, cracking his knuckles as he entered the glade, he looked around--_there were ghosts there._ He fingered a kunai; letting his index slip into the hole in its butt before spinning at his side. He released it--grabbing another one in procession and doing the same. It went on for what seemed like hours: Grab, Spin, Thunk; Breathe; Grab, Spin, Thunk! He ran as he did it--drawing quick, laboring breaths of air as he vaulted tree-to-tree, ground-to-air. He finally stopped mid-motion, rolling to the ground--silent as the night. He stopped in front of worn practice dummy, drawing his finger across the face carved into the wood. When he pricked his thumb he methodically brought it to his mouth; never making a sound as he did.

_I heard you're getting married…_

Naruto flinched. He quickly pulled his finger from his mouth, drawing a line of blood and spittle for the rain to wash away across his cheek in his haste. He smiled, mirthlessly watching his training instrument sway with the wind. His right hand reached--his clawed fingers curled in anticipation--for his throat. Erratically, his fingers twitched, working frantically at the collar around his neck. He let his clawed fingertips roll up and down his chest to his neck as if he deaf trying to emote his hunger …his need.

He was begging, and his stomach was burning. He was hungry and he yearned for solace.

_I heard you're getting married…_

_

* * *

_

"You must be tired… you've been in here for hours without even a break." Shizune stated. She shuffled demurely into Tsunade's office carrying a tray with one cup and a bottle of warmed sake. Placing the small saucer in front of the Hokage, she began to steadily pour the heated beverage without spilling a drop. "These late nights followed by early mornings aren't good for you, Tsunade-sama. If you don't start taking care of yourself, I'm going to have to do it for you…" She said with a smile.

Tsunade smiled back. Shizune was so much like her cousin that at times it hurt. She reached over tucking an errant strand of hair behind her sable-haired attendant's ear. "--And if _you_ keep staying up to keep me company it'll be bad for you complexion." She smirked, letting her hand graze the porcelain cheek in question before falling smoothly into her lap.

"I've been going over our field rooster and it just doesn't make sense to me! I've got two jounin on bed rest--one with a sprained ankle, broken ribs, and chakra burns all over his body; another whose reserves are maxed, suffering from chakra exhaustion. I've also got a squadron leader who doesn't want to lead …and three gennin I can't even send out to battle thanks to the lovely group of advisors I've got breathing down my neck.

Our last gamble may've brought us some time, but you and I both know the odds… The councils' been eating me alive and even though I've been pouring over my father's journals hoping to glean some new ideas or inspiration, when I close my eyes and blink all I see is death!

"What can I do to raise the odds, Shizune? I keep asking myself this, but the answer never comes."

The whole time she was talking Tsunade sat rigid, her back pressed against her seat gazing with an almost impassive look in her eyes as she stared at her companion. Her jaw was set and her tone along with her eyes seemed distant--like she was there, but at the same time watching some surreal, riveting event happening before her. It was unnerving to Shizune to say the least. It felt as if Tsunade was looking through her instead of speaking to her.

_Trance-like…_

Then suddenly, Tsunade seemed lucid again (and so very vulnerable). The gripping tension bleeding from her as she meticulously stood and fluidly--_autonomically--_strode toward the large, picturesque window behind her. She broodingly ran her fingertips across the windowpane, allowing the moist condensation to trickle down her arched fingers. She was melodramatically hunched over and held in her other hand a cooling bowl of sake. She didn't speak for a long time afterwards until she turned, beseechingly over towards Shizune, and asked:

"What can I do?"

* * *

**_A/N: I hope this'll tide you over until I get to gooey center... Tell me what you think, I'd love to know._**


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